Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-10

Philadelphia Press.
pIife insurance at retail and for
| ,a5rern is the way they CURLY describe
of the latest innovations in the in
.orca business. Insurance has gsner-
lie been regarded as a luxury to be en-
Ia only by the rich and by adults.
r:a last few years have brought about
~ changes in the methods of conduct
the business of several prominent
ss,rance companies that people of small
-sans can by the payment of small week
| 10 sums secure the payment of death ben
x. and few hundred dollars. Bene-
4cial societies promising the payment
~ various sums upon TIE demise of n.em-
s.rs from assessments levied upon sur
wing members is not new idea: but
!. ia only within the last few years that
.o,cnanies of the cold line" as they are
.ermed in the language of the trade, have
5sslt in life insurance in small sums,
Collecting regular stated premiums and
aoring definite amounts. With this in
ovation also came the application of
me principle to the insurance of children
ors year Of age and upward. In the
Snort time it has been in operation
his branch Of the business has grown to
an extent beyond credence.
Infant insurance and the insurance of
admits for small amounts are the inven-
ton of an English company, which be-
ran operations fifty years ago, and which
has developed the business 70 such an ex-
tent that one-half of the population of
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Is
enrolled on the books of the concern, and
IL, collections on premiums in the sum of
few cents a week amounts to millions
Of pounds of sterling every year. The
revolutionary measure has become in
/ tinetiye amCng the people of the middle
classes. As illustrative of the extent
70 which this retail insurance prevails IN
England it is related that a few years
/ ago soGffold surrounding a high chin
new in course of erection collapsed and
caused the death of twenty eight men.
Subsequently it traRspired that all of
these workingmen were insured ia this
| company
It was only. ten years ago, however,
that the scheme fouEd its way across the
water &c this country, and now there are
only few of the con- panie5 that write
these srall policies.
ltt q ltIhblpH VI no nibAl AZ AoN
IN this country is someThat as the follow
ing:
ChiEFen are insured from the age of
year upon the payment of B, b, and 10
cents, o. perhaps ls1ger sum per week
death benefits being graded in proportion.
As an example take the payment of
cents per week. For this sum coEapany
/ will pay upon the death, within one year
after dRte of insurance, of a child years
/ Of age the sum of Si5.
Death after one year will secure the
payment of Sl7; after two years, $40
and 70 on, gradually increasing until the
limit Of Sl20 is reached, payable upon
,be death Of the child after clever years
/ from the date of insurance. The purpose
u fixing the amount Of the benefit st such
low fgUre during the extreme youth of
he beneficiary is double. In the infan-
/ Tile stage there is the greatest danger
| rom the many com plications tC which
abyhood is subject, aad the risk 20 the
ompanyis consequently greater, dscreas-
| ag as the child advances in age. The
other reason is one even less pleasant to
: contemplate. As insurance of this kind
! usually practiced by the poorer classes
/ 20 lto IAS 'AbtI0 nave E&Oh DtGAA w &hblAk
numerous would be beaetactors who have
raised the cry that in this form oflnsur-
nee companies were practically oEering
nducemeute TO poor parents to put their
children @Et of the way by foulmeans
for the sake of the death benefit. In
IEngland, where the whole system 0R5gin-
ted, there vas such a hue and cry that
parliament ordered a rigid investigG ton
Of the deaths of the infants upon whose
ives insurance had been placed. Thous-
Fands of cases were investigated. and
nong them we're found but two instGac-
which excited suspicion, and for Lack
any positive proof these cases ware
imply reported as doubtful A similar
curse in this country failed as signally
reveal any evidences of foul Flay. Not
outstanding these facts, the death beR8-
Is are started a. such low point that
ere could be no inducemeut altered &c
Inscriptions parents.
Insurance paiE by small weekly pay
'1is necessarily demands tbs employ
'sAt OF an elaborate system in the con
-l-i of a business of any importance
1907 the pioneer companies which has
'aeseyen years q its existence written
s"cits for the insurance OF 30e,0f9 per-
va principally young children.hss con
's'sG with its agency a corps of City
~ canvas sers and collectors, whose re-
'Ps on few cents per week from each
-'e'e- person aggregate S1.000,O0o per
@'. The entire city is systematically
'eel INTO sections, with all tine details
-.Aee IA regard to sanitary advantages
~ olae- important features, Some pof-
'A' OF Tie city known to be especially |
'se'tlg andinfectioUs are prohibited /
agents. The solicitGss secure their /
.ol1efs who are subjected to a medi- |
summation by medical inspector, !
alter insurance has bee1 placed. the |
-'a'7er collects the small premium
5cl week. /
0-. i9fee az four companies &ave start !
'"lS branch of the business. but their !
-'"e'lons tire something Immense, (
-1''lNE tue Insignificant b2sss of the I
small am09nt of insurance which I
II -''1 practically amounts TO a sum
e'el' merely 90 pay the undsrtakers'
of, bills. la this light it is re-
~ laesr import ant and unwelaome
.'Aaflfs. and, it is a fact of inter
-'uce this system has come into
II --0 a4itrtaFers UTt1 rthrrfris,. ~ I